On Monday, Kyrie Irving made yet more headlines. The Brooklyn Nets star spoke to the press for the first time since training camp began. Stephen A. Smith of ESPN shares his thoughts on how Irving has been handling himself.
This marks the end of Irving’s self-proposed boycott of the press.
Irving has been drawing lots of criticism from fans and media personalities this month. And in particular, Smith reams him for handling it so poorly. Smith says that Kobe would not be pleased with his latest antics. So, he spoke on “First Take,” voicing his disappointment with the New Jersey native.
“Somebody Kyrie respected, loved, and idolized was Kobe Bryant. I don’t think Kobe Bryant would be happy.”
Even though Irving is a world-class basketball player, and arguably one of the best players in the NBA, it didn’t stop Smith from ripping him. Bringing in the hallowed Los Angeles Laker legend’s name in the same sentence as Irving is not necessarily a good thing.
Stephen A. Smith on Kyrie Irving
Irving has made a name for himself as a polarizing figure. In particular, he said that he feels that the Brooklyn Nets don’t need a head coach. Fans and media members immediately jumped to the aid of the new coach, Steve Nash. He says that people are just “pawns” in a much larger game.
The star basketball player is close with the Bryant family. He even sang about the family in one of his recent, albeit unreleased rap songs.
But Stephen A. Smith talks more about why Bryant would not be happy with Irving. Since Smith talked about how disappointed Bryant would have been with Irving, he too has gotten criticism.
There are mixed emotions on the segment from “First Take,” but a vast majority feel what Smith said was fair. Bryant was famous for saying exactly what he meant and then moving on. But Irving seems to keep rehashing old arguments and problems that don’t need to be addressed.
However, despite these things, Irving most likely believes that he is doing what is best for him, and there aren’t many people who can tell him how to live his life.
So, watch the video for yourself to determine whether or not Smith or Irving is out of line.
